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Home Energy Upgrade Program Developer
Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) is a member-owned cooperative business focused on advancing energy democracy through community-controlled renewable energy and energy efficiency. CEF is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer and sees unique and diverse perspectives as essential to be able to achieve our mission and live our values. Cooperative Energy Futures develops and operates community solar gardens, currently with 8 projects across Minnesota offsetting the electricity needs of 700 member households at an immediate net savings to our members. CEF has a particular focus on economic and racial justice, working to ensure that all projects are developed using an economic model that is deeply accessible to members regardless of income or credit and including options available at no upfront cost and net monthly savings, as well as prioritizing workforce equity in the solar industry. CEF uses member participation in these projects to build community wealth and activate members from many different communities around a vision for our energy future that is rooted in community-controlled clean energy.
$80,000-$95,000 annual salary based on experience
Benefits: 2 weeks PTO, option to participate in organizational health and dental insurance, 9 holidays per year. See details in Personnel Policies.
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Regular full time, exempt
This position is responsible for organizing a team of expert partners to plan, organize, and launch a new program deploying home energy efficiency, electrification, and on-site solar for households across the Twin Cities with a focus on rental and owner-occupied homes in low-income communities and communities of color. This role will be focused on utilizing support from the US Department of Energy’s Buildings Upgrade Challenge to coordinate with external partners that have experience in energy program design and delivery, research, financing, and software.
This role will receive support from staff within the CEF team to design an accessible program model building off of multiple years of analysis and experiential learning on the barriers low income communities and communities of color face to accessing home efficiency and electrification. The role will require detailed project management skills and the ability to integrate technical, operational, and financial expertise into a well-functioning program.
This role is initially funded for a one-year period focused on program design and establishing operational infrastructure (analytical tools, software, training, and program delivery systems) with the expectation that CEF will receive further funding from Phase 2 of the Buildings Upgrade Challenge (and organize capital from other sources) to extend this role as we launch a program in late 2024 or early 2025.
Job Responsibilities:
Design a Comprehensive Home Energy Upgrade Program Implementation Plan
● Serve as a visionary and strategic planner to design and eventually execute a program based on existing research, relationships, and a conceptual model designed around accessibility and equity. Key elements of this design include:
- A unified data collection and analysis system integrating utility consumption data, home energy conditions data, and resident experience data.
- A coordinated capital stack that allows most or all of the upfront cost of home energy improvements to be covered, and utilizes existing federal, state, local, and utility incentives and ongoing repayments tied to energy savings, to recover the cost.
- A network of community-based organizations providing people-centered energy navigation services.
- Integration of full-home electrification, including exploration of networked and district heating and cooling systems to replace gas infrastructure in a cost effective and sustainable way.
Team Coordination and Project Management Around Plan Development
● Coordinate with partners at EEtility, Inclusive Prosperity Capital, Slipstream, and the University of Minnesota Center for Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy to design, coordinate, and complete various aspects of program design and preparation.
● Serve as primary CEF liaison to the US Department of Energy’s Buildings Upgrade Challenge, participate in learning and capacity-building activities, and tap relevant technical assistance, peer support, and other resources to support program design.
● Work with other CEF staff to evaluate and plan software, data systems, and operational integrations with other partners and services necessary for the program design.
● Work with CEF’s CEO and COO on key program design decision points and capacity building within CEF to prepare for program launch.
● Lead CEF’s response to Phase 2 (pilot proposal) and – if successful – Phase 3 (scaling) submissions of the Buildings Upgrade Challenge.
Minimum Qualifications:
● 3 years experience in project and process management, with excellent attention to detail.
● Experience in residential energy efficiency and/or electrification program management, contracting, or program evaluation.
● Ability to retain and integrate complex and detailed information about residential efficiency and electrification, incentives, and program models to build a cohesive program design.
Must be a reliable, self-motivated individual who can take direction and be trusted to work independently with minimal supervision.
● A team player with strong ability to work in a collaborative environment.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex team projects on a timeline.
● Commitment to the energy transition, working with community-based organizations, and empowering culturally diverse communities.
Preferred Qualifications:
● 5+ years experience with residential energy efficiency and/or electrification program design, management, or evaluation.
● Familiarity with existing efficiency and electrification programs and services in the Twin Cities and/or experience with best practices from programs nationwide.
● Experience providing maintenance or improvement services for rental and owner-occupied housing in low-income communities and communities of color.
● Experience or familiarity with residential building science and building envelope, HVAC, heat pump, and/or appliance efficiency technology.
● Experience or familiarity with construction contracts and public incentive programs.
● Experience with meeting facilitation and developing action plans as a group.
● Experience working with federal programs or grant management.
● Existing relationships with community-based organizations in one or more target communities.
Submit a Resume and a Written Statement explaining why you are interested in this position to [email protected]. We will send additional follow up questions and interview scheduling to candidates we wish to interview. This position will remain open until filled with a target start by or before January 2024.
